Political cartoons in Indo-Pak Newspapers: A Critical Discourse Analysis

Abstract

Political cartoons are one of the most effective ways to draw readers’ attention to the news published in a newspaper. This article aims to analyze the value, position, and trend of political cartoons published in the newspapers of India and Pakistan. The data is collected with the help of a mixed method approach. This article aims to analyze the value, position, and trend of political cartoons published in the newspapers of India and Pakistan by the content analysis of the cartoons published in the Times of India and Dawn. Seven Pakistani and Indian Newspaper editors were interviewed adopting the simple random technique. The study found that the editors preferred to include a cartoon section in their newspapers to draw readers’ attention. The study shows that Political cartoons have been popular in English newspapers since the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, but in Urdu print, political news stories have dominated. Pakistani citizens have a stronger sense of politics, leading to higher levels of political tolerance. Political cartoons are essential for delivering criticism in mainstream media, as they represent agreement with new rule scenarios and are free from "pressure." Skilled cartoonists convey messages in short, simple caricatures, supporting the significance of news.